Time. Time and time again. What is time?  My dictionary first defines   time as a noun : the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole; when used differently time is a verb, a  linguistic shape shifter –   you ask “How can that be  because no matter how much I ponder your statement, that’s not the way I learned English.”

The answer lies, not deeply hidden, in its usage, such as in  planning, scheduling, or arranging when (something) should happen or be done such as ; “The the sapper  timed the bomb to explode in thirty minutes.”  Time also finds it way into wonderful, delightful delicious phrases such as: all the time, ahead of one’s time, being behind the times passing the time of day, time and tide wait for no man, even time exposure.  How can one be exposed to time, like sunshine, do we spread on a chemical to cut our exposure to time, if so,  how do I find it? 

Theologically, the Wisdom book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die but my personal favorite phrase, vaguely theological, and I gladly share it with you is this: keeping time.  This simple phrase, for me, takes me back to High School more than 60  years ago while taking a course in music fundamentals  our class was discussing the difficulty in maintaining a desired beat, playing some music at the tempo written on the script, when someone asked our teacher  “Are you teaching us how to keep time?”  To which, and to wit, she replied “Only God keeps time, we merely mark time.” I still remember that,  dimly in details,  so clearly in deep-rooted memory.

Isn’t English wonderful? One can correctly write  the crudest sentence using the formula: subject, verb, object (also called complement). Maybe even throw in some adverbs and adjectives.  Or, in the style of centuries ago, you might write clauses after clauses, phrases in clauses, hidden in other clauses, finally culminating in a completed conclusion.

Why this lengthy introduction about time?  The answer lies, by implication, in our topic for this post; which is Personal Interests.  According to two dictionaries I referenced, personal is   an adjective about one’s private life, relationships, and emotions, instead of matters connected with one’s public life; interests is the plural of interest, the state of wanting to know or learn about something or someone; involving time requires action, either present or future, mental or physical. For example, finding time for your interest, making time, taking time off for it, etc.   

 “Ms. M. F. ‘s involvement in hobbies or projects is much like a traffic light.  She is likely to be either all excitement and enthusiasm, or she is totally uninterested.  Regardless of her level of involvement, she tends to be cautious and unsure of herself.  she generally can be counted on to select the most difficult or unique aspect of any project.  However, the very challenge will unnerve her.  If a project becomes too demanding or draining, she will go on to something else.”

 

Analysis and Commentary

So, time to write some more. First of all, I have absolutely no interest in sports as I am not built for that.  When I graduated high school, I was about 6’2″ (have shrunk a bit since then) and weighed 150#, Therefore I was not suited for contact sports.  I  have and had an interest  in music, took a class in music fundamentals in high school, and played cornet in the band. Also so in science, particularly radio, and  I  built a few simple tube radios.  I had a few friends also interested in amateur radio as well.

At University, I hoped to continue in the band, but the Engineering course load left no time for hobbies.  After graduation and marriage, I took a course in woodworking, building several different pieces and making a sewing room for Marge, complete with cabinets with panelled doors, places for her materials, etc.  I also liked doing as much automotive maintenance as I could, and took some courses in this. I found satisfaction by working with my hands, neither with computers nor office work. Something tangible.

Of course, another form of Personal Interests is an interest in women.  Resort work some 50-60 years ago was an ideal venue to explore those interests, especially after buying a car since the kitchen and wait staff (mostly college age women) had close contact in the kitchen, and resorts were often quite remote from other resorts and towns.

Even now, I sit next to a very attractive and well dressed woman in one of my classes, we, sitting together and not apart, do the “getting to know you” dance verbally  wherever that may lead. Perhaps the dance, a minuet, ancient and stately, time-honored and understood.

Therefore, because now and in the forseeable future, I do find my personal interests rewarding, assuming that I am physically and mentally able. Thusly I grade Mind Prober an A on its process.

Margery presents another situation entirely.  Some of her hobbies were relatively short-lived, while others were lifetime activities.  Margery was a very intelligent person, scoring an IQ of 145 on a MENSA test, at the 97th percentile.  Her SAT scores in 1957 were 664 in verbal aptitude (extremely high) and 545 in math totaling 1209.  The 1957 averages were 473 and 496, totalling 969. Mine in 1954 was very close +- a few points, sadly now lost despite asking for a copy.

I say this, not as braggadocio, merely stating a fact leading to the conclusion that our interests were far from those of the proletariat, masses, populace, average people.  We, with the people, but not of the people.  This led both of us to a personal sense of loneliness reflected in many facets of our lives. Our interests, more intellectual, erudite, cerebral,  and enlightened than the average Jane or Joe. And so, set apart from the masses by our genes, not by conscious decision. 

Marge was verbally expert, experienced, accomplished, a  professional,  a teen master.  She won prizes for her composition and oratorical skills which you would expect with her high verbal aptitude score. Not the average Jane by any definition. 

Some of Marge’s personal interests were short-lived; such as learning to play the organ, bookbinding, stained glass and more.  Others were lifelong companions, singing, sewing, and needlepoint. She also had a fulfilling wish to help others.

 There is a sardonic Nazi phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei” translating to “Work makes you Free”  Ironically, work did make Marge free to fulfill her want, her  yearning,  eagerness, and enthusiasm to help others. She worked, almost to her death, not because she had to, because she wanted to help others as a mediator,  a tax preparer, and church officer.

Marge had a strong Alto voice, I could read and sing music in the Bass register and we often sang together in church choirs, or in a local Chorale society, singing the stirring sounds of dead Germans. Music was a lifelong interest for us individually, and together.

My evaluation of Mind Prober’s analysis of Marge is that is Incomplete because it is just that, only partially hitting the mark.

And finally, yes, we both had personal interests in the lives of others, but underneath it all, we did love each other, and did not break up.